Signers say jobs, tourism ‘badly’ needed

Published: Thursday, October 10, 2013 at 04:45 PM.

Last month more than 100 state House members signed a petition advocating against an Indian resort and casino proposed for the Kings Mountain area.

Now, more than 250 people have signed a different online petition aimed at the Department of the Interior in support of the resort proposal. And the Cleveland County Chamber on Thursday urged others to support the petition and resort effort.

The Catawba Indian Nation seeks to develop a resort that could bring about 4,000 new jobs to the county and surrounding area. The resort proposal falls under the jurisdiction of the DOI.

Marti Mongiello – who operates The Inn of the Patriots in Grover and is chief financial officer of the American Revolutionary War Living History Center – helped organize and was the first to sign the change.org petition in support of the resort, which has garnered signatures from people in Kings Mountain, Grover, upstate South Carolina and from as far as Italy.

“We want economic improvement for the people of Cleveland County and Cherokee County, S.C., and Gaston County and Rutherford County,” Mongiello told The Star this week. “We believe if this petition is passed and the Department of the Interior recognizes the nation, they will build the casino and it will economically empower and change thousands of lives.”

County leaders have voiced their support of the project due to the job and economic prospects it carries.

Last month more than 100 state House members signed a petition advocating against an Indian resort and casino proposed for the Kings Mountain area.

Now, more than 250 people have signed a different online petition aimed at the Department of the Interior in support of the resort proposal. And the Cleveland County Chamber on Thursday urged others to support the petition and resort effort.

The Catawba Indian Nation seeks to develop a resort that could bring about 4,000 new jobs to the county and surrounding area. The resort proposal falls under the jurisdiction of the DOI.

Marti Mongiello – who operates The Inn of the Patriots in Grover and is chief financial officer of the American Revolutionary War Living History Center – helped organize and was the first to sign the change.org petition in support of the resort, which has garnered signatures from people in Kings Mountain, Grover, upstate South Carolina and from as far as Italy.

“We want economic improvement for the people of Cleveland County and Cherokee County, S.C., and Gaston County and Rutherford County,” Mongiello told The Star this week. “We believe if this petition is passed and the Department of the Interior recognizes the nation, they will build the casino and it will economically empower and change thousands of lives.”

County leaders have voiced their support of the project due to the job and economic prospects it carries.

Some of the state leaders who signed the previous DOI petition against the resort – as well as other state leaders in recent years – have received campaign contributions from the Cherokee, another tribe that operates Harrah’s Cherokee in the western corner of the state.

One state leader said allowing the Catawbas to operate a casino would open the door for others to enter the state and open a casino.

Mongiello said his group, the ARWLHC, disagrees with opposition to the proposed resort and those who say the Catawbas have no history in North Carolina.

The ARWLHC advocates for American patriots and veterans who fought to help create the United States, including efforts to showcase them in paintings.

Mongiello said some members of ARWLHC are American Indian but most are white.

“We have been discussing doing an American Indian in 2012 as our next painting project, and we narrowed down to doing a Catawban,” he said. “The Catawbas laid their lives on the line and fought with the patriots during the Revolutionary War. They had land and homes in the York area destroyed. They stuck by us the whole war.

“Our group, we’re all sitting around with our mouths wide open reading the uneducated comments from these legislators in Raleigh that they don’t want outsiders coming into our state to open a casino. The ones who fought with us get nothing?”

Mongiello said ARWLHC members were first surprised at news of the casino plans.

“We immediately noticed the Chamber of Commerce came online and issued full acceptance of it on its website,” he said. “With the many companies I own, I have five different memberships in the Chamber, so I’m very interested in anything they’re advocating for.”

What’s the latest on the project?

The Catawba Indian Nation has submitted its application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for permission to develop a resort and casino in the Kings Mountain area of Cleveland County.

“Everything is moving forward in that government process,” said David Dear, one of the county’s economic development leaders.

Dear said he doesn’t anticipate the government shutdown will impact the progress on the resort project or any other Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership ventures.

What is the change.org petition in support?

Change.org is a website that provides a free petition tool for 45 million users and hosts sponsored campaigns for organizations.

The petition to Sally Jewell, secretary of the Department of the Interior, advocates approval of the proposed Catawba Indian Nation resort in the Kings Mountain area because of its promise of new jobs.

The proposed resort falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior.

What did petitioners say?

As of Tuesday, 265 people had signed the resort petition.

Here’s a sample of what some of the petitioners said.

To view the petition, visit change.org and search Catawba casino.

“It will create new trades of hotelier, hospitality, security, cookery and more at our local colleges, thusly allowing the all persons in the region to grow and care for family.”